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What’s on Second?

The most mind-boggling thing about the parking lot on 2nd Avenue and Pike Street is that there even is a parking lot on 2nd Avenue and Pike Street. This ideal downtown crossroads has been underused—and budding with potential—practically forever.

Greg Smith, developer and Principal of Urban Visions, had plans for the site a couple years ago, before downtown was rezoned to allow taller buildings. But last week, Smith was back before the city’s downtown design-review board to present a bolder vision for a geometric, two-tone tower that will stand 440 feet tall. It’s called the Candela Hotel and Residences.

Olsen Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects

“We recognize the intersection as one of the most important in the city,” Smith said. Bravely, the architects disregarded a design guideline that requests new buildings relate to the immediate architectural context—because, really, even one Newmark building is too many—in favor of adding something unique to the skyline. Portions of the pearly tower cantilever out over the rest of the building’s frame, and an arm of the hotel juts unexpectedly away from the body. However, the building encounters its greatest obstacles at the street level.
More after the jump.

Zoning rules for that corner require vehicles to enter the parking garage from the alley on Pike Street. However, according to Tyler Myers, who introduced himself as the guy building the IGA grocery store on the other half of the block, about 12,000 pedestrians per day walk along the sidewalk between Second and Third Avenues. Allowing more car traffic there would clog the alley, which is needed for deliveries to the grocery store and Wild Ginger, and create “a pretty dangerous situation” for pedestrians, he said.

The blocky red area on the left represents a restaurant on Pike Street. The greenish-brown horizontal strip along Second Avenue represents the plantings that obscure views to the lobby and hallways.

The design review board, in turn, recommended an exception to the rules: allowing the Candela’s parking garage to be accessed via a ramp on Second Avenue. To accommodate the parking ramp, the architects have chosen to eliminate almost all retail or restaurant space along Second Avenue (there is a restaurant space on Pike Street). Why should that matter? Pedestrian activity at this intersection is the reason Smith and others recognize that corner has citywide significance. “That’s where the activity happens—at the pedestrian level,” said architect Tom Kundig.

(2) I know we are all supposed to hate cars, but reality dictates that at least some of the condo residents and hotel guests will have cars. It needs to have a parking garage of some sort. There needs to be a parking ramp somewhere. Where do you suggest they put it?

(3) I've never understood the whole concept of mixing a hotel/condo. I'm quite content with condo living, but can't think of a single reason I'd want to live in a condo that was half-hotel. Anyone know why this has become more popular in recent years?

Broken record time: what's happening at the street? The giant ice cubes are cute from a mile away, but ultimately the only thing that matters is the street frontage. From the pic it looks like it angles away from the corner to form a plaze. BAD, BAD, BAD. That corner is passed by thousands of pedestrians a day; the architect and developer OWE IT TO THEM to be an amenity, not an oppressive device.

I wish that developers and the architects they hire would prioritize the physical context of a building ahead of its stand-alone functionality or how it rates as a work of abstract sculpture. Buildings that look pretty at a distance--if you even go for the all-glass look, which I don't--are worthless if they drive people away at street level.

Yeah, it's better than a parking lot. But really, we should be way past the point where that's our standard of acceptable urban design.

@6 Because the condo owners get the services of the hotel, they can sign up for housekeeping services, use the conceirge, and I think in some cases they can even get room service. Plus I think there are people who will check in on the condo while the owners are away.

Me, I'd never go for it. Towering Inferno made way too big an impression on me.

just make sure it has rain canopies for the dealers & users. wouldn't want them to get wet.

and to the homeless person who took a giant shit on the pike place market hillclimb this morning outside the exit door of my garage: there's an automatic toilet 100 yards from where you had your nasty ass blowout.

I'm sorry, I didn't read the second page of the story when I commented. Sounds like some people have noticed the same thing I did.

The parking garage and delivery access problems they're describing are called "traffic" and are not inimical to city life. Blank walls on one of the most important blocks in the city ARE. They should be told "we're not even going to look at this until you fix it -- sidewalk access to retail on all sides, and preferably second-floor retail as well".

For folks worried about interaction with the street, this will only cause more alarm:

The ground floor facing Second Avenue, under the current proposal, is partially masked by nine-foot-deep shrubs between the sidewalk and the windows, violating a design guideline for "transparency." Several of the windows look in only a few feet on another wall, rather than a lobby or business. According the design board’s Wilmot Gilland, the entrances seemed too narrow “should be wider.” But in the end, the design board seemed mostly satisfied with the plan, which prompted city planer Jess Harris to clarify: “Are you supporting this concept—a departure from transparency?”

“I think it’s a good concept… I’m concerned about the lack of transparency,” replied Matt Allert, a member of the design review board, who noted, “I want to see what they do with it.”

Sorry, max, that was me outside your garage. Last night's shelter dinner banged on the door loud and clear this morning. Hung around that auto-toilet waiting for it to be vacant, but when my innards got out of hand I had to duckwalk as fast and as far as I could to find somewhere else. Didn't make it far enough. By the time it was all over I was too embarrassed to ask for help cleaning the hideous mess, so pulled up my hoodie and ran. Hope your car tires cleaned up okay, sir.

Dominic. What was demolished to make way for the vacant lot parking lot years ago? Check the county archive at Bellevue Community College to see if perhaps this hole wasn't an accident, but part of a fucked up urban renewal scheme decades ago, now replaced by a new urban renewal scheme...

Yeah, the design board needs to push to get some businesses in there. It's across from, what? The Turf? Just about anything could go in that spot and thrive, as long as it's not another drug store. Big expanses of windows would also be nice.

In the first picture, the corner window on the white building with the peaked roof above it is my office window. This building would unfortunately block my spectacularly complete views of the Washington Mutual Tower and WaMu Center.

Slightly off topic: does anyone else think the OPUS building going up on Second (shown partially complete here) is the ugliest thing ever? There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the design of the white elements. I realize they're going for a Two Union square thing, but Jesus. The pattern of the multicolored glass makes no sense either. That and it's covered by these ugly tiny white dots. I seriously hope they're not finished with the outside, because god damn it's terrible.

#26, or the run-down, vacant piece of crap across 2nd from Turf. The only thing that corner really has going for it is the condos on the southwest corner, and even those are blah. I've noticed that while the retail space is leased, what seems to be office space directly above it has been vacant for quite awhile.

A simple solution for pedestrian amenity/interface -- establish Mr. Poe in a small storefront, seat him behind a counter, post a sign outside saying "Psychiatric Help 5¢ -- The Doctor is In" and throw open the door.

That used to be our secret Showbox parking lot, but since we moved to the city, fuck it. That building looks cool, but I'd like to see street-level retail that's actually something people would like-- less smoke shops and snotty galleries, more....?

I say someone with DPD should take a black marker in the manner of so many embittered old guard fashion designers and slash through the parts of the plan pertaining to the street level in front of every major designer in the city.

#2...where are you seeing brick? Looks like another glass wall to me... I'm not opposed to glass, but I agree that seeing some different shades would be appealing. Just don't replicate the Olive 8 cheesy ass pipework design. I thought I'd like that building, but now each time I pass it I cringe. FUGLY!